Theatrical property.



.3. 1:. tlib rfii PATENTED AUG. 4, 1908.

. M. PORTUNY.

' THEATRICAL PROPERTY."

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1905.

Bria/2y v j Wyn) "-6 MARIAXO FORTUNY,

OF PARIS, FRANCE.

THsA'rmcaL PROPERTY."

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, )LmL-txo Foa'rUNY, a subject of the King of S rain, and residing at 29 Boulevard Berthier, aris, in the French Republic, have invented a certain new and useful Theatrical Propert of which the fol lowing is a full. clear, and exact description, and for which I have a )plied for Letters Patent in France. dated April 6, 1904, No. 3-l1,952; Austria. April 8, 1904; Germany, April 9, 1904; Hungary, April 9, 1904, No. 31,974; Rus ia, April 1/14, 1904.

The object of the invention is to provide a concave wall or shell in a simple and inexpensive manner and the invention consists in a liable material, such as canvas, cloth or the like secured to a rigid structure so as to form with said structure an air tight space and means for exhausting the air from said space, whereby the pliable material will be drawn towards the walls of the said structure to form a concave surface or background. A concave shell of this description may be applied in theatrical properties to represent, 25

or example, the sky down to the horizon or the cupola of a church or any other building. It may also be employed in the photogra hic art and in general in all cases where tiere may be required a concave background for a staging in the widest sense of the term. An arrangement of this kind may also be applied in the construction of a concave shell int-ended for a concert hall and, in general, of a shell having a shape such as to give or to improve acoustic efi'ects. A hollow shell of this description may be decorated in any style; but it may also be simply painted white and receive ,tints by projected light or luminous )rojections of any kind as may frequently lra )pen in theater craft. The sha e of this hollow shell varies according to tie use to which it is to be put. For instance, if it is de sired to represent the sky on a theater stage, it will take the form of a quarter sphere, if necessary itch suppres ion of certain parts and addition of other parts: these latter may be portions of spherical, cylindrical or other shaped or even plane surfaces, these modifi cations resulting from each )articular case.

, For the description of 1 1e invention, the

case has been considered of the representation of the skyin a theater, and the drawing represent a concave surface, corresponding approximately with a quarter-sphere.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is asimilarview of Specification 'Letters Patent." 7 1.

Application filed. Apr-H5, 1905. Serial No. 254,035.

the metal skeleton alone; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show modifications in the carrying out of the lnventlon.

The apparatus is composed essentially of Patented Aug. 4, 1 908 f two sheets A and B (Fig. 1) of woven material such as cloth or similar fabric, the interior one A having its edges secured to a vertical rigid metallic are a and to a horizontal rigid are '1), the outer one B being secured at its two-ends to the vertical are c and the horizontal are (i; this last sheet is moreover supported from inside by a series of bows e f g. All of these bows are jointed at their ends at it so that the arrangement resembles the hood of a carriage.

A ipe t (Fig. 1) connects the space inclose between the two sheets with a suction pump V worked in any manner desired. \Vhen this pump is operated, the air in the annular space becomes rarefied and the pressure of the atmosphere drives these two sheets or fabrics towards one another. The internal sheet which is secured onl at the two extreme arc-s spreads out in the orm of a regular concave surface; the other rests upon the intermediate bows between which it beds down as seen in Fig. 1, without however touching the interior surface because of the distance which separates the two cloths. Care is taken, of course, to securely anchor the vertical head arcs and the horizontal arcs.

can be folded by means of the joints h of the arcs, towards the vertical arcs and by means of cables and pulleys p p p can be raised to the ,upper part of the theater.

Fig. 3 re resents a second method of carrying out t to invention. The interior fabric A is in this example also-secured to a vertlcal are a but the lower portion is simply tensioned by a series of ropes Z 1 Z l fastened to the fioorinm The exterior sheet 13 is secured to a rectangular front frame a, to one or more intermediate frames c and to an end frame a. In the transverse direction, a sheet joins the head or front are c with the frame a; similarly another sheet completely closes the end frame 0 Thus this arrangement forms a kind of chest or caisson. The pump V and the pipe 25 effect the rarefaction of the air inclosed between the two sheets. The various frames are carried upon two horizontal rails by means of rollers R, R rangement allows of closing up the. apparatus which aron itself by; brin im the frames tagether afterhaving detacdied the guy-ropes T, Z.

In Fig. 4 the inner sheet A is secured to two rigid arcs the one a vertical the other 1) horizontal; the outer sheet B forms :1 kind of conical or pyramidical surface having its apex at O and its base on the frame c and on the'horizontal are (I. The pull exerted on the point 0 allows this conical surface to be tensioncd sufficiently to resist the slight vacuum produced by the pump V.

' In Fig. 5 it has been supposed that the outer wall was formed by the masonry of the theater itself. A represents in longitudinal section (along the axis of the theater) the sheet forming the concave vault. This. sheet is stretched owin to the vacuum effected in the space H incdosed between it and the masonry walls of the stage. The pump V maintains this vacuum or lessening of pressure within the space H.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as such and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;-

1. A structure ada )ted for use as a background for theatrical or kindred purposes, consisting of a sheet of pliable material forming the background roper, a relatively rigid structure forming tierewith a closed substantially air tight space, and means for exhausting the air from said space.

' 2-. A structure ada ted for use as a background for theatrica or kindred pur uses,

comprising a rigid structure, a piece of p iable material secured at its edges to the walls of the structure to form therewith a closed '2 I se5,s59-

space, the pliable material being of greater dimensions than th'e distance between the walls to which it is secured, and means for exhausting the air from the said space.

3. A structure ada )ted for use as a background for theatrical or kindred purposes,

comprising a skeleton frame open at one side,

an outer covering for the frame, a piece of pliable material secured to the edges of therame and forming with the covering thereof a closed space, the piece of pliable material being of greater dimensions than the distance between. the'edges of the frame to which it is secured, and means for exhausting the air from the said space.

4. A. structure ada ted for use as a background for theatrica or kindred purpose,

comprising a hood-like frame formed of a.

plurality of bowed rods, a piece of pliable material secured upon the outer surface of the frame and forming a coverin therefor, a second piece of pliable material secured to the edges of the frame and forming with the first piece of pliable material a closed space, the second iece of pliable material being of greater dimension than the distance between the edges of the frame to which it is secured, and means for exhausting the air from the said space.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. MAR-IANO FORTUN Y.

\Vitnesses:

1 L120 FRANKENT,

GUSTAVE DUMONT. 

